A day after the German central bank asked President Christian Wulff to dismiss the official for racially charged remarks, it was becoming evident that a sizable slice of the electorate share Sarrazin’s concerns over immigration and ethnic integration and were protesting preparations to expell the 65-year-old from the central bank. Informal TV polls suggest that nine in 10 call-ins say Sarrazin might have a point or two.

Brand new in office, Mr. Wulff’s first reaction was to run for cover and ask the government to confer on the case before he makes a decision that only he has to make. The government itself fears that the Sarrazin case is splitting society on a thorny issue that German mainstream politics has tried to avoid confronting head on. Now there’s no choice.